The present invention relates to a bear-resistant pannier having a latched cover which prevents a bear from opening the pannier.
Panniers are commonly used by horse packers to transport goods such as food items. In wilderness areas, bears in search for food often open a pannier in camp to reach the food items. This has created problems for persons using these panniers. As a result, the United States Forest Service requires back country campers to either use bear-resistant panniers or to rope the panniers in the air so that bears cannot reach the panniers.
The present invention is directed to a bear-resistant pannier which solves this problem by providing a spring-loaded latch which cannot be opened easily by bears.
Spring-loaded latches are known such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,118 to Ashford for a “Child Resistant Latch System.” The latch used with the present invention is designed to be used with a recessed cover and provides advantages over latches previously known.